The current Siena Saints head coach discussed his relationship with Adrian Autry after he was let go on Wednesday.
Syracuse men's basketball will soon start a new chapter in the program's history.
After firing head coach Adrian Autry on Wednesday, the Orange are now looking for just their third head coach in the last 50 years. Autry went 49-48 in three years after taking over Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim. He never made the NCAA Tournament.
While SU will likely expand its search in the coming days and weeks, a list of six candidates is already making the rounds. Among them? Former Syracuse guard Gerry McNamara, who helped lead the Orange to the 2003 national championship as a player before spending 15 years on staff as a coach.
He's currently the head coach at Siena University, where he just led the Saints to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. Though McNamara will continue to be linked to the job until it's filled, he tried to keep most of the conversation about his current team in a Wednesday interview with the Field of 68.
He did, however, discuss his longstanding relationship with Autry when asked about the coaching change at Syracuse.
"Anybody who knows him knows what a wonderful person he is... I've got such a great appreciation for how hard he works. It breaks my heart. He poured his heart and soul into it. Someone's gonna be smart to pick him up..."
McNamara and Autry's professional connection
Both McNamara and Autry worked together on the Syracuse coaching staff as assistants under Boeheim from 2011-2023. In March 2023, Autry was named head coach of the program following Boeheim's retirement and McNamara was elevated from assistant head coach to associate head coach. In March 2024, McNamara accepted the head coaching position at Siena.
Not the first time discussing Autry
McNamara's affinity for Autry is well-documented. Just weeks earlier, McNamara shared this about his relationship with Autry to Albany sports writer Mark Singelais.
"I talk to Red all the time. That's my guy. I haven't talked to him in a week or two. But those are as good a friends as I have in life. Let's set professionalism aside and what we do for a living. Those are guys I spent over a decade working with, a colleague, a guy that lived five houses down from me. Our wives are friends, our children."
What's next for Autry?
Despite his recent exit from Syracuse, Autry's resume is still one of the more impressive resumes in college basketball. The 54-year-old has been coaching for the past 20 years, including stints at the high school level at Bishop Ireton (VA) and St. Paul VI (VA).
Autry entered the collegiate ranks in 2008, starting as a director of basketball operations at Virginia Tech. After two seasons with Seth Greenberg and the Hokies, he was promoted to assistant head coach. The former Syracuse standout joined his alma mater in 2012. During his time as an assistant, Autry was a part of two Final Four teams (2013 and 2016).
And if he wants to continue coaching, he has a believer in McNamara.
Join the Conversation
Remember to join our SYRACUSE on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Orange fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!